Kevin Godlington

Kevin Godlington is the CEO of CRAD-L and Director of Sierra Leone Agriculture (SLA).

Land Grabbing in Africa
Godlington, along with "the Sierra Leone Agriculture (SLA) and its parent company, the UK-based CAPARO Renewable Agriculture Developments (Crad-I), and CAPARO's founder, the British Industrialist Lord Paul of Marylebone" are buying up a large amount of land in Sierra Leone.

According to Business Insider:
 * "Also, local people in the SLA lease area are under the impression that Tony Blair is linked with the project and with SLA. Godlington says he works “closely” with Hon Angad Paul, the Office of Tony Blair and other investors and sponsors to run this “African development company specializing in former conflict nations” and to lead “investment teams in setting up large scale agricultural, resource and extractive business’s [sic].”


 * "The land they're buying: 43,000 hectares in the Port Loko region of Sierra Leone


 * "The future development: Godlington says it's to establish palm oil plantations on the lease to produce palm oil for the local market, and the project will involve mills and processing plants. In 2010, SLA cleared 5 hectares of forest bush to plant palm oil seedlings. It aims to have palm oil plantations in over 40,000 hectares within 7 years.


 * "The scandal: Godlington hasn't made his plans public in the country, nor is there any documentation that verifies his claims, according to OI [the Oakland Institute] . The chief who granted him the lease says that he insisted SLA build schools, health centers, and resettle any villagers the development displaces. However the chief also says that the lease has to be renewed every 7 years, whereas the SLA director says the lease is not up not for renewal, but for rate re-negotiation every 7 years."

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Global Land Grab

External Resources

 * Food Crisis and the Global Land Grab
 * Joan Baxter, "Understanding Land Investment Deals in Africa: Sierra Leone," Oakland Institute, 2011.

External Articles

 * Courtney Comstock, "Meet The Millionaires And Billionaires Suddenly Buying Tons Of Land In Africa," Business Insider, June 30, 2011.